I grew up under the perpetually sunny skies of California. I did not have the concept of the air cooling and becoming crisp, of the leaves changing and covering the streets in red and gold, and of the need for spice and warmth, making you want to bake. This fall in Milwaukee has been unseasonably warm. My fall vest is still in the closet, but the urge to bake is still strong and has led me to my collection of squash. There’s pumpkin pie, but that’s too predictable. So, I decided to experiment with butternut!

It only made sense to pair my butternut with the aromatic spices of chai and because I love chocolate, I combined them all to make Butternut Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Recipe for Butternut Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins

Wet Ingredients1 cup of butternut (Cube and bake it at 375 degrees for about half an hour, then mash with a fork – that way you end up with a few chunkies!)2 eggs1 stick of butter (cream with sugar a bit)1 1/2 cups of sugar1 cup of Rishi Tea chai concentrate or one cup of strongly brewed chai